Dismissive of ‘Rape Culture,’ a New York Times Columnist Perpetuates It in a Screed Against ‘Sensitivity’

Judith Shulevitz’s cri de coeur in Sunday’s New York Times against the “self-censorship” she believes is stifling intellectual debate in American universities due to the supposed heightened emotional fragility of today’s students should appall anyone who cares about or believes in mental health.

In her article, Shulevitz equates passionate advocates for gay rights and abortion rights with rape survivors, claiming each of these people must toughen up and expose themselves to ideas that make them uncomfortable for the sake of intellectual growth. Clinically anachronistic, Shulevitz’s article mentions post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) nowhere, nor the strong correlation between sexual violence and PTSD.